Genie in a Bottle
by Fudgefeather
Summary: Kyuubi's just a weary desert traveler, trying to find his way back to Nippon... until he stumbles upon a very magical lamp, with a very odd being inside. Of course, he tricks the genie into a free ride home- but hey, three wishes left, he can spare one to free the being, right? ...Or will he? KyuubiXYami


**AN: Ahhhhhhh I don't know how this started except I was watching Aladin and I had this odd thought of a crossover where Ammy was Aladin, Ushiwaka was Princess Jasmine, Akuro was Jafar, and somehow Yami ended up as the genie (let's just say I was watching the movie on ABC and I caught it just as Princess Jasmine tries to distract Jafar by seducing him and with the genie's jaw drop I just- XD)**

**But then I thought "LOL nope" and decided that Kyuubi finds the lamp instead and Yami's the genie.**

**Hmmm I wonder what he'll wish for.**

**Also title was inspired by the song, which I am currently in love with. Yes.**

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Kyûbi coughed, throat cracking in dryness, his one remaining eye half closed against the driving winds and sand. How he had gotten here, to such a desolate place so far from his home, he had no clue, only knowing that he did not like it here. He was just barely crawling now, having long since given up trying to stand and fight the powerful winds that even now threatened to push him backwards in his progress. He knew the dessert had to end at some point, and that he was too far in to attempt going back, even with the winds to blow him along and perhaps quicken his process… He did not even know which way back was, so that he might travel that way! All he could do now was to press forward.

Perhaps it was fate that caused him to do this, moving slowly forward along his belly, forcing his way against the relentless winds instead of turning back. He did not know, even in later times he would not be able to tell what drove him to persevere when he would later learn it would have been better to turn back instead. All he knew was that, as he raised a hand to move forward and brought it down again, it landed upon a hard object.

Kyûbi's fox ears perked. He knew that this thing, whatever it was, did not feel like it belonged in the desert… Pulling himself closer, he raised himself into a sitting position and gently tugged the object out of the sand.

He did not notice that the winds suddenly died down to a halt, or that with winds like he had just experienced, the object should surely have been buried further down under the sand. All he noticed was an oddly shaped grayish object, something that almost resembled a ship. It looked old, dusty, somewhat battered… He turned it over in his hands, looking it all over curiously, ears pricking and twitching. Finally, he noticed the sides.

Though covered with sand, he saw that there were odd blue markings along the sides, markings that looked important. Still, he could not make them out, understand what they meant. _The sand is obscuring them,_ he thought bitterly, before an idea came to him… _Maybe if I just rub that sand off…_

With that, he began hurriedly rubbing at the object with the already sand coated end of his burgundy red tunic- his favorite shirt, he realized with a grimace. What he did not realize was what rubbing at the object would trigger.

Perhaps that was why he jumped backwards when a blue smoke cloud began pouring from the end of the object, which began dancing about as though it had a life of its own after his rubbing it.

The object continued to smoke for a minute after he let go of it, until it settled back to the ground with a crash. Kyûbi glanced about the landscape, wondering if anything had changed. Everything appeared exactly as it had before the smoking object, and he let out a sigh of relief… until he noticed that he was not alone.

There was another person there now, standing near to where the lantern had fallen. "You called, master?"

Kyûbi blinked in shock. "I… what? Excuse me for saying, but I don't think I'm anywhere near a master," he admitted slowly, tail waving under him. The other person stared down at him, red eyes narrowing and two hands, hands which looked mechanical, folded across his – or her, Kyûbi couldn't tell – chest. "Did you or did you not rub the lamp?"

"The what?" Kyûbi asked, face blank. Then, his one-eyed golden gaze fell on the gray object that he had rubbed. "…Oh."

He suddenly realized how far from home he must be. He had heard of legends, legends that came from a land far from his own, legends that told of a creature that emerged from a lamp when it was rubbed, and would grant the person who rubbed it three wishes. "So, does that mean that you're a… genie…?"

The person bowed. "At your service."

Kyûbi's head spun. He had no clue how or why this had happened to him, of all people, to his good luck! Just when he needed a free ride out, a genie, a very powerful creature indeed, declared itself at his service! _But_, he thought, _I can't ask him to get me out of here! If I do, poof! That would be one wish down, and I want all the wishes I can get, not just have to ask him to get me out of here… But how can I get out of here, AND get three other wishes…?_

A devious little idea sparked into his brain, and he stood up, pacing around, only giving the genie an occasional glance. "Thanks, for the offer, um-"

"Yami," the genie replied shortly, not relaxing from his position of crossed arms. "Thanks, Yami, but… I dunno. You say you're a genie and would thus be incredibly powerful, but… I dunno, it's probably not fair to say, I shouldn't even be bringing this up," Kyûbi said, hesitating before he continued, holding up his hands in a gesture of uncertainty. Yami's red eyes narrowed at him again. "What is it that you desire of me? Speak up."

Kyûbi chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Why, I bet you couldn't even get me back home! You see, I'm a kitsune, and I'm sorta… lost and far from my home in Nippon… But it's not like you could, I dunno, instantly transport me back there!"

Yami lifted a hand and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, they were standing on very familiar territory, a grove of cherry trees that Kyûbi knew had to be in Nippon. "Anything else?" Yami asked, quirking an eyebrow at Kyûbi's look of wonder. For a second, the kitsune failed to answer. Finally, he seemed to find his voice again, and when he spoke, he still continued to gaze in awe at the cherry trees. "…What… what do you mean by that?"

Yami rolled his eyes, as if he did not realize what the kitsune could possibly be thinking, how big of an idiot he was now stuck with. "You asked to be returned to you home in Nippon," he answered plainly, keeping any and all possible emotion from leaking into his voice. "I returned you here. Now, what are your other two wishes?"

Kyûbi stared at Yami now, as if the genie had come from another planet. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he murmured, shaking his head in disbelief. "As I recall, I do believe I said that you could _not_ return me here; you simply could not be powerful enough. _You_ merely decided to prove me wrong by bringing me here yourself and showing your power. I never wished for you to do that."

Yami blinked in shock as he realized Kyûbi had a point. His mouth began to open and close, his brows furrowed, his mechanical hands moved as he thought over the whole situation. As he thought this over, he seemed to panic, until he finally gave in. "I suppose you have a point. Three wishes it is, then. But no more, and no more trickery."

Kyûbi thought it best not to mention that kitsunes were wonderful tricksters, and that he could easily trick another wish out of the genie… "….Also, do you realize that I could just as easily return you to the desert without blinking an eye?" Yami asked suddenly, raising an eyebrow. Kyûbi laughed. "Maybe so, but then I'd say this whole thing was a mirage, an illusion."

"…" Yami sagged. "I hate you already."

"Thank you. I love you too."


End file.
